SouthWings’ mission is to protect and restore southeast ecosystems through flight. Meredith will provide an overview of our organization’s history and current programs. Emmet will discuss his experiences as a SouthWings volunteer pilot.

Chanse Watson, Assistant Director of New Orleans Lakefront Airport (NEW) will provide an airfield overview and update on the numerous improvement projects.

Chanse graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2010 with Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management with a minor in Business Administration. After graduating college, Chanse worked in Airport Operations at MSY for almost 5 years prior to accepting his current position as the Assistant Director of Lakefront Airport. He is primarily responsible for overseeing the airfield, the Capital Improvement Program, and working with the FAA and State with regards to compliance and funding. Chanse has been flying out of NEW since he was 13 years old and is excited to be back and more importantly, to be a part of the continued growth of the New Orleans Lakefront Airport!

Brian LaFleur, Air Traffic Controller for New Orleans International Airport (MSY) will discuss ATC’s continual efforts and commitment in helping GA pilots remain safe and informed.

Brian “Porkchop” LaFleur’s interest in aviation began as a child. He earned his Private Pilot Certificate in 1997 while working at an FBO as a lineman in Lafayette, LA (LFT). He attended college in Pittsburgh, PA in pursuit of a career in Air Traffic Control. Upon graduation, he taught ATC at the college until being hired in 1999 at Monroe Tower and Approach Control (MLU). In 2002 he chose New Orleans Tower and Approach Control (MSY) as his new home and has been there since, having earned the distinction of MSY Controller of the Year in 2016. Each year Brian also works as an air traffic controller at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI and was recognized in 2017, being selected by his peers, as Oshkosh Controller of the Year.

Following the presentations there will be a Q&A session, lunch will be provided, and ATC facility tours offered to interested attendees.

RSVP

RSVP is required to attend this event.

Please contact Adel Alamo at adel@southwings.org if you plan to attend no later than Aug. 24, 2017 so that we can have an accurate headcount for the event.

We look forward to having you join us!

]]>http://www.southwings.org/news/gulf-pilot-meet-up-08-26-2017/feed/0Ron Bakerhttp://www.southwings.org/pilots/maryland/ron-baker/
http://www.southwings.org/pilots/maryland/ron-baker/#commentsWed, 02 Aug 2017 16:51:21 +0000http://www.southwings.org/?p=9409Ron was born in Washington DC and grew up in suburban Maryland. He graduated from San Diego State University in 1978. His aviation career includes soloing in 1977, being hired by American Airlines in 1988, and qualifying for Captain in 1999. He is type rated in B727, B737, B757/767 and MD 80 and has flown just under 25,000 hours. Ron is married to a lovely AA flight attendant (29 years), and they have a son, 22 and a daughter, 20. Ron is two years from retirement and wishes to continue flying as long as he has a medical approval to do so. He purchased a 1975 Mooney M20C last year. He also owns a Sabre 28 sailboat and is an avid, lifelong sailor. Ron was attracted to SouthWings as an opportunity to serve a worthy environmental cause in a capacity he loves, flying. Ron also serves in the Civil Air Patrol and play drums in his church praise band.
]]>http://www.southwings.org/pilots/maryland/ron-baker/feed/0Chris Carmelhttp://www.southwings.org/pilots/georgia/chris-carmel/
http://www.southwings.org/pilots/georgia/chris-carmel/#commentsTue, 23 May 2017 14:43:33 +0000http://www.southwings.org/?p=9368I was born and grew up near Detroit, Michigan. I received a B.A. from the University of Vermont in 1979. I began flying while attending college in Claremont, California, taking flying lessons from a family friend who was a pilot for Continental Airlines. My first aviation-related job, and first job out of college, was working as Associate Editor of Flying Magazine, where I wrote and edited feature articles, summarized NTSB reports, and analyzed and wrote about aviation accidents. I flew the magazine’s Beechcraft A36 Bonanza around the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.

I have 2,000 hours of total time, and instrument, single-engine land and sea, and glider ratings. I’ve owned an Aviat Husky A1-B since 2006, in which I’ve accumulated about 900 hours of flight time. My particular interest is back-country and off-airport flying, which the Husky is well suited for.

My wife Lili and I were married in 1991 and have two children. I enjoy skiing, hiking, fishing, photography, tennis, golf, and other outdoor activities. My wife and I have lived in coastal South Carolina for less than two years, but we have quickly grown to love the unique ecosystem of the ACE basin. It’s immediately apparent from the air that much of this region is basically aquatic wilderness, and like wild places everywhere, needs our advocacy and protection. I hope to b able to make a small contribution toward this end by becoming part of Southwings’ network.

I grew up boating and playing on Lake Martin in central Alabama. When I reached the age of 16, I became intrigued with the idea of flying because driving and boating were just not fun enough. I found a job parking cars to pay for my flight training at Bessemer Airport. I became a private pilot just after my 17th birthday. It wasn’t long before the idea of seaplanes began to interest me (I had seen a float plane parked at a dock near Willow Point on Lake Martin for years and thought it was extremely cool). Unfortunately, there were no means for me to actually accomplish float flying at the time. In 1996 I bought my first airplane, a 1966 Cessna 206, on wheels. In this airplane I achieved my instrument rating and had many adventures flying all over the southeast.

I finally tried float flying in 1997 in a J3 Cub. The nostalgia of the cub and the idea of float flying were very exciting. I showed up ready for adventure and learning. My experience was not what was expected. The instructor was a pushy, yelling, know-it-all type, and the experience was not the Margaritaville-in-flip-flops kind that I had hoped for. Nor was it a positive learning experience. It was boot camp with a drill sergeant instructor. No prep was done. I lost hope and did not complete my second day of training. Abuse was not the ticket that I had purchased. I knew that there had to be a better way.

Some years later I was hangar flying with a friend Bessemer Airport and I learned that this guy had a float plane for sale. It was a Cessna 150/150 on floats, and turned out to be the same 150 that I had seen as a youngster on Lake Martin. From my Cub experience I was a little wary of underpowered float planes, but this one had been upgraded to 150hp and had a STOL kit on it. I was easily talked into a test flight on Lake Guntersville in northern Alabama. Needless to say the plane was bought. I found an excellent instructor who took the time to really teach float flying. I had to import an examiner from the Nashville FSDO, who happened to fly water bombers and a Consolidated PBY on occasion.

After several years of enjoying the plane and wishing that I could share this love of flying floats with others, I recognized that it was not easy to get into seaplane flying if you live in Alabama or much of the country for that matter. There are very few seaplane schools and some of them are just factories pumping out ratings. Seaplane flying should be a fun learning adventure. The training should be enjoyable, informative, and it should leave the new seaplane Pilot with more than just a slip of paper and a merit badge. The new pilot should be left with cool stories, new skills, and a wanting for more. So I became a CFI.

That still left the area in need of an examiner. The local FSDO was able to appoint Gary Kiteley from Auburn with the authority to give Single Engine Sea check rides. All the elements were now in place to form WaterWings Seaplane School, and we have been providing new adventures ever since. I have thousands of hours giving seaplane training. I do it because I love it- the fun of flying, and the fun of introducing pilots to new worlds nearly unimaginable in a land plane. This is not a job for me- it is a lifestyle and a mission.

Eventually I wanted a plane for travel. I bought the Twin Comanche from the same guy that I purchased the Cessna 150 from. I spent a couple hundred hours getting to know the plane and the world of multi engine flying. The Twin Comanche is a great aircraft. It is very efficient for a twin and arguably the most efficient twin to buy and fly. It operates on a total 16 gallons an hour and flies at 160kts. I upgraded the avionics to very functional levels and made the plane a very nice learning and cross country platform, and now it is available for training and gaining/maintaining currency.

In 2005 I purchased a Piper Cub. This too was an eye opening experience. The Cub is a very sweet aircraft in just about every way. It is a simple airplane and a great trainer. I found the Cub an escape from the busy world of business and the complications of life. It flies really slowly. I noticed all kinds of interesting sites near the airport that I have flown over for the last 20 years. The open door and slow speed allow a view that cannot even be described. The limits of Plexiglas and lots of speed are epic. The Cub is the perfect plane to “just go fly” and you learn something every time. Sometimes that lesson is just humility. I again put in a couple hundred hours in the Cub to get competent enough to train in it and now I offer this piece of aviation history to the flying public for tailwheel training and currency.

In 2009 I found myself looking to broaden my horizons again. The Cub and the Cessna 150 had shown me that simple and slow flying was a very pleasing experience. How could we get simpler and even slower? For “simpler” I decided to start glider training in Sylacauga with the Sylacauga Soaring Society, now the Central Alabama Soaring Association, and I progressed to get my private, commercial, and CFIG ratings. If you want a taste of soaring then you should contact CASA or I for an introduction.

To go even slower than the Cub I choose helicopter training. This was a tough project, since there was not much of an organized training operation in the Birmingham area. I drove to Pell City and trained in a Hughes 269/TH55 helicopter with Greg Turley. This was a great challenge and a huge learning experience. You can do things in a chopper that are simply impossible any other way. I earned my private rating and found it tough to keep current in the chopper without a local rental ship available. I eventually bought into a Robinson R44. This is a really great ship. It has respectable airspeed, carries four, and this one is an instrument trainer. Again I went through all the ratings and now can offer private, commercial, instrument, ATP, and CFI training in the R44.

In 2011 I found the opportunity to purchase a 2000 Aviat Husky on Wipline amphibious floats. This has opened a bunch of new worlds as well. I take the Husky to land based fly-ins and airshows to spread the word about seaplane flying and its many facets. We can now operate out of regular land based airports and even offer ATP ratings in the Husky. The open door and window allow a cool cockpit even in the depths of an Alabama summer.

What’s next? Aerobatic training? We recently added a 2006 Super Decathlon to the available training aircraft and I have been hard at work learning the fine art of aerobatics.
I am a member of the Bessemer Pilots Association, the local EAA Chapter at Shelby County Airport, and President of the Shelby County Aircraft Association. I am also a member of NAFI, AOPA, EAA, and IAC.

Gulf Pilots Wanted: Meet-up May 1st

Please join SouthWings for appetizers and drinks with fellow pilots interested in conservation of the Gulf on May 1st from 5:30 – 7:30pm on the historic New Orleans riverfront at Mat and Naddie’s restaurant. Former, current, and future SouthWings volunteer pilots are invited to come and learn about the important work we’re doing to protect and restore the Gulf. We’ll be joined by SouthWings Co-Founder and Executive Director Hume Davenport from our home office in Asheville, NC.

We’re looking for pilots to join our volunteer network who meet the following criteria:
• Pilots must either own or have regular access to a normal category aircraft
• 750+ PIC hours
• Desire to work with local organizations working to protect the Gulf

Please help us spread the word and bring any pilot friends who are interested in learning more about volunteering with SouthWings! We’d love to meet them!

May 1st 5:30-7:30 PM

937 Leonidas Street

New Orleans, LA 70118

]]>http://www.southwings.org/news/gulf-pilot-meet-up-512017/feed/0Chesapeake Pilots Wanted – Meet-uphttp://www.southwings.org/news/chesapeake-pilots-wanted-meet-up/
http://www.southwings.org/news/chesapeake-pilots-wanted-meet-up/#commentsWed, 01 Feb 2017 21:47:37 +0000http://www.southwings.org/?p=9233Please join SouthWings for an informational happy hour in Edgewater, MD on Feb. 23 from 6-8pm to learn about our programs and partnerships in the Chesapeake and the work we’re doing to protect our watershed.

We’re looking for pilots to join our volunteer network who meet the following criteria:
• Pilots must either own or have regular access to a normal category aircraft
• 750+ PIC hours
• Desire to work with local organizations working to protect the Chesapeake watershed

]]>http://www.southwings.org/news/chesapeake-pilots-wanted-meet-up/feed/0SouthWings featured in Chesapeake Bay Journalhttp://www.southwings.org/news/southwings-featured-chesapeake-bay-journal/
http://www.southwings.org/news/southwings-featured-chesapeake-bay-journal/#commentsFri, 13 Jan 2017 16:00:00 +0000http://www.southwings.org/?p=9208SouthWings has been growing in the last year. Our newest Program Director, Shannon Lyons, has been busy expanding our presence in the Chesapeake. Check out this fantastic article the Bay Journal published regarding our growing pilot force and new partnerships in the area.

Do you want to fly with us? If so, we’d love to hear from you. If you’d like to join our volunteer pilot force, click here to learn what our requirements are. If your organization would like to request a flight, click here to learn how.

]]>http://www.southwings.org/news/southwings-featured-chesapeake-bay-journal/feed/0#GivingTuesday is Today! Help Support SouthWings!http://www.southwings.org/news/givingtuesday-here-support-southwings/
http://www.southwings.org/news/givingtuesday-here-support-southwings/#commentsTue, 29 Nov 2016 07:22:33 +0000http://www.southwings.org/?p=9190SouthWings has been advocating for the conservation of Southeastern wilderness, watersheds, and wildlife for 20 years.

By supporting SouthWings, you’re helping to support over 100 different partner organizations across the Southeast that fly with us and depend on our Volunteer pilots.

You’re helping to advocate for clean water, helping to end pollution from coal and oil, helping to educate policy makers on the very real effects of climate change, helping to save our unique and biodiverse wilderness, and in turn, helping to save the wildlife that depends on it.

You don’t have to give a lot to make a difference. This is your chance to make an impact that will create a ripple effect that benefits the entire planet.

We ask you to be part of something big by giving something small. Your contribution will help support the efforts of a few people trying to make a huge difference.

]]>http://www.southwings.org/news/givingtuesday-here-support-southwings/feed/0Jeremy Jacobsohnhttp://www.southwings.org/pilots/virginia/jeremy-jacobsohn/
http://www.southwings.org/pilots/virginia/jeremy-jacobsohn/#commentsMon, 28 Nov 2016 14:41:49 +0000http://www.southwings.org/?p=9181Jeremy earned his Private Pilot certificate at the Wright Patterson Aero Club in Dayton, OH, while pursuing his PhD from Case Western Reserve University. He added an instrument rating after some interesting weather experiences on trips with his wife, Deedee, and now she flies with him again. He flew with the TSS Flying Club for about 10 years before joining a partnership flying a V-Tail Bonanza, and then upgraded to a Baron. Now he flies a 1971 Piper Arrow which was restored beautifully in 2004. Jeremy has logged about 1600 hours in light aircraft. His home airport is Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, MD (KGAI).

He joined Southwings to help uncover environmental issues that hide in plain sight near the Washington metropolitan area. These include mountaintop removal projects in Appalachia, and concentrated animal farming operations on the DelMarVa peninsula.

Jeremy works as a software engineer in Aerospace. He has three adult children, and practices yoga regularly for stress relief (yes, those facts are related).

SouthWings is asking you to take part in a different kind of gift giving this year that helps members of your community, the environment, and local organizations.

On Tuesday, November 29, 2016, SouthWings will be kicking off our end of year annual appeal by participating in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving.

Last year, more than 45,000 organizations in 71 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday. Since its founding in 2012, #GivingTuesday has inspired giving around the world, resulting in greater donations, volunteer hours, and activities that bring about real change in communities. We invite you to join the movement and to help get out and give this November 29.

#GivingTuesday is a grassroots global movement; a dedicated day of giving, this time not just our heartfelt thanks but also something more tangible. It’s a day to support the organizations that are dedicated to improving and providing for our communities. It’s a day to give back and make your voice heard on the issues that matter the most to you. #GivingTuesday celebrates generosity by providing people everywhere with an opportunity to give more, give smarter, and give great.

#GivingTuesday is about ordinary people coming together doing extraordinary things.

Help support SouthWings and our partner organizations so that we can continue advocating for the restoration and protection of the ecosystems and biodiversity of the Southeast through flight. Our volunteer pilots fly to defend southeastern wilderness, watersheds, and wildlife. #Flyfor3Ws